Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-10-06

Matthias Splitlog and the Railroad He
Building Out West.


Had any one predicted a quarter of
century ago that an American Indian
would build railroad he would have
been considered fit object for lunatie
asylum But to-day the people of New
ton County, Mo-. county adjoining
the Indian Territory, have witnessed a
scene such as man has never before be-
held. Matthias Splitlog, half Cayuga
and half Wyandotte Indian, born in an
Indian village in Canada, at Neosho
drove the first spike for the Kansas
City. Fort Smith & Southern railway.
This division of the Kansas City, Fort
Smith & Southern railway was chart
cred the 9Th of last March under the
laws of the State of Missouri, with a
capital of three million dollars, and
now there are about thirty-fve miles
graded and ready for the iron.
Mr.. SplitIog has furnished the
''sinews of war; out of his own ample
fortune, and is backed by heavy capt.
talists to complete the road, and before
the 1st of next January he will have
the cars running from Joplin, in Jasper
County. to the town of Splitlog. in Nc
Donald County, a distance of about
thirty-five miles, and Matthias Split
log. the millionaire Indian, who is
| probably the richest man of his race,
will henceforth be known all over the
country as the only Indian railroad
man Cat least the first in the United
States or in the whole world.
! The occasion of driving the first
spike on the main line of this new road
was matter of more than ordinary in
terest to the people of Neosho. At
3:15 there were about one thousand
people assembled sc the point where
the main line crosses the Frisco track.
After music by the Indian band from
the Territory, and selections from the
Neosho band, Mr.. Charles w. Smith,
auditor of the construction company,
held the spike in position, and in four
bold strokes Mr.. Splitlog drove the
spike home into a carefully selected
white oak tie. Cheer after cheer was
given for the road, Matthias Splitlog,
Neosho and the enterprise, after which
many came to the track to look at the
spike. Mr.. Splitlog welded the sledge
with familiarity and precision which
indicated that he had used his sledge
with good effect when he built his
steamboat on the Detroit river.
Mr.. Splitlog was born in the year
1913, and when a boy was apprenticed
to a carpenter and millwright, and,
although his wages were only seven
dollars per month, young Splitlog
thought he was getting rich. He inn
bibed love for machinery and inven-
tons which has made his life useful
and eventful one. In the year 1912
young Splitlog Joined the Wyan-
dottes, who were the last of the Indian
tribes then in Ohio. In 1913 Splitlog
came West with some of the tribe, and
found, after his arrival at Westport
landing (now Kansas City,, that he
only had fifty cents IN his pocket. He
induced an old Indian to go his security
for the price of an axe. With this axe
he cut cordwood for the steamboats, at
twenty-five cents per cord, and, after
paying for the axe, which cost two dol
lars, he soon saved enough to buy
pony.
About the year 1916 he married Eliza
Barnett, a grandniece of Harry Jacques,
the old Indian who went his security
for the price OF the axe. Her father
was head chief of the Wyandottes when
he died in 1888. Her mother was
part Wyandotte and part Seneca In
dian. They have a family of five chill
dren-four sons and one daughter.
Splitiog was never idle, and in most of
his undertakings he was successful.
AT an early day he built mill near
Wyandotte, which was first run by
horsepower and afterwards by steam.
Splitlog's mill was a success, and was
long an old landmark near Wyandotte.
He began to speculate in real estate,
and. although he can neither read nor
write. he has been one of the most sue
cessful spectators in the neighbor-
hood of Kansas City, and is to-day
worth over million dollars. Many
interesting incidents could be written
in connection with his useful life
NeOSho mo. Cor. Kansas CitV Journal.